What Is a Case Manager?

The title case manager is now used throughout public mental health services. However, some services in the past have used the titles key worker, case coordinator, or primary worker.

A case manager is a staff member with professional training in a community mental health service. A case manager could either be a social worker, a psychiatric nurse, an occupational therapist, a psychologist, a doctor or a psychiatrist.

A case manager will be responsible for looking after your interests while you are a client of public mental health services.

Your case manager will be your central point of contact and will act as a guide to help you towards recovery.

This means making sure you are helped by public mental health services, including disability support services, by advocating on your behalf and linking you with the appropriate services.

The case manager will work with you for as long as it takes for you to receive the best services necessary for your recovery.

If you have to go into hospital, the case manager will keep in contact with you during your stay.

This may involve talking to the hospital staff on your behalf to make sure they are aware of the previous treatment and support you have received from the community mental health centre.

If you move into another area your case manager will help you make contact with the right service, find out who will be seeing you, and possibly arrange to be part of a joint meeting with your new case manager.

It is important for you to have an opportunity to say what you prefer and the best person to talk to about this is your case manager.